Avondale holds on to take first point from Port
By Alen Delic (@AlenDelic)
Avondale FC has picked up its first point of the PlayStation 4 NPL Victoria 2015 season, keeping Port Melbourne at bay and sealing a 0-0 draw at Avondale Heights Reserve on Saturday afternoon.
The match started with both teams hesitant to show their cards, with a tough midfield battle and neither side looking to press too high.
But after five minutes, Port showed it came to play. Some brilliant work up the left wing saw Kamal Ibrahim with a golden chance on the edge of the box, only for Ibrahim to appear gun-shy and freeze at the decisive moment.
The hosts came close at 25 minutes; a brilliant defence-splitting ball from Simon Tolli found Chris Irwin’s foot perfectly, only for the post to come to Port Melbourne’s rescue.
Port striker Brent Fisher had the next chance on the corner of the six-yard-box, but Avondale defender Julien Cannizzaro did enough to put Fisher off, and give Frazer Siddall enough time to make the ball his own.
The first act had a slow build-up, setting the scene for a frantic second.
And frantic it was, with Tolli picking up the ball just seconds after kickoff, and Port’s defenders appearing allergic to making a tackle as he skipped past, only for the waiting Stjepan Gal to smother the chance.
The visitors were the next to go close at the 50th minute mark, with a deep cross from Ryan Oppermann finding Ibrahim in the area.
He scuffed his shot, but it fell at the feet of Fisher who coolly slotted it past Siddall, but he was adjudged to be offside by the referee.
Just minutes later, the keeper at the other end was the hero. A curling free kick from Jonathan Munoz looked destined for the bottom corner, only for Gal to stick out a palm and parry it wide.
But soon after, the game lulled again.
With ten minutes to go, Avondale almost got the better of lady luck as a back pass to Gal was closed down by Irwin. Gal was first to the ball, but his clearance ricocheted off of Irwin and away from goal.
Port had a chance to steal the game at the death as a cross from the left wing by substitute Nicholas Krousoratis found fellow sub Erhan Yalaz in the box, but his shot was denied by a brilliant point-blank save by Siddall, earning Avondale its first point at home.
MATCH DETAILS
Avondale FC 0 drew with Port Melbourne 0 at Avondale Heights Reserve, Avondale Heights [HT: 0-0]
Avondale FC: 20. Frazer SIDDALL, 6. Anthony STRANO, 13. Michele CRAZIA, 28. Anthony FALLONE, 27. Julien CANNIZZARO, 5. Jeff FLEMING, 17. Phil RICCOBENE, 4. Chris IRWIN, 18. Jonathan MUNOZ (19. Jason PRINCIPATO 89’), 8. Simon TOLLI (Andrew LE PAGE 68’), 9. Aleksiy KHRAPKHO (Daniel SLOVACEK 76’)
Unused substitutes: 1. Anthony SARIC, 20. Kim HO
Yellow cards: 27. Julien CANNIZZARO 60’, 28. Anthony FALLONE 69’
Red cards: None
Port Melbourne: 1. Stjepan GAL, 19. Shaun KELLY, 23. Connor REDDAN, 3. James RICCOBENE, 16. Alan KEARNEY, 2. Andrew VIOLA, 5. Nick TZOULIS (20. Julius DAVIES 57’), 10. Andrew MILICEVIC, 15. Kamal IBRAHIM, 22. Ryan OPPERMANN (17. Erhan YALAZ 81’), 8. Brent FISHER (11. Nicholas KROUSORATIS 71’)
Unused substitutes: 25. Michael STARK, 4. Timothy PATON
Yellow cards: None
Red cards: None
PHOTO: Alen Delic
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